Think back to the summer of last year (it’s easy because it wasn’t any sunnier than 2024) and you might remember the now Prime Minister Kier Starmer calling for an extra Bank Holiday if the Lionesses won the World Cup. That didn’t happen, obviously (beaten by Spain in the final…) but the idea has been floated again.
“It’s almost 60 years since England won the World Cup,” tweeted the Labour leader on August 16, 2023. “I’m never complacent about anything…but there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home.”
Now that he’s in charge, many are calling for Kier Starmer to follow up on this and offer England an extra Bank Holiday if the men’s team gets their hands on the Euro 2024 trophy this year. And, after a recent interview, he appears to somewhat hint at the idea.
Speaking to ITV, Kier Starmer said: “Well, we should certainly mark the occasion. I don’t want to jinx it. I went to the last Euros finals. I don’t want to go through that again. So I don’t want to jinx anything. We must mark it in some way, but the most important thing is getting over the line on Sunday.”
So that confirms it? Well, not really. It’s a very vague answer. But the Lib Dems leader has been much clearer about wanting a national holiday. Ed Davey said: “The Three Lions are playing their first-ever final on foreign soil, and if they bring it home, the Government should bring home a bank holiday to celebrate.”
But, like Kier Starmer in 2023, it’s a lot easier to demand a Bank Holiday when you’re not the one in charge. The Prime Minister is right, however, first things first – England has to win on Sunday when they play Spain in Berlin. Only then, should talk of an extra bank holiday begin.
Watch England v Spain with a 20:00 BST kick-off on BBC One and the iPlayer, or down the pub here.